What I wonder is the process through which we decide what looks good and what does not.

This is like second order harmonics of style, for want of a better phrase.

The paralanguage buffs tell us it's not what we say, but how we say it and what we look like when saying it, that's actually important in conveying a message. On SF WAYWN, it's about how we translate that message into the second order (photographs). Clearly, good photo quality, good selection, a narrative structure and other details in photos will affect perception.

Style is very much about a narrative; conveying a message. The more you can control the medium and the overall environment in which your message is received, the more an audience can be enculturally trained to be more accepting of the message. This is one of the principles behind good advertising (even so-called guerilla or viral advertising which seems on the surface to be freer) or good propaganda (much the same thing). One theory of dress would be that we are trying to "sell" a narrative message about ourselves to the world, however subconsciously.

Translating that from the real world, into the SF world of the WAWYN thread, it's clearly much easier to control the WAYWN environment than it is to control the real world, so if care is taken about this, it will have an impact on our interpretation of people's outfits.

This is delving close to the fertile territory between psychology and aesthetics, an interesting field for sure.

This is like second order harmonics of style, for want of a better phrase.

The paralanguage buffs tell us it's not what we say, but how we say it and what we look like when saying it, that's actually important in conveying a message. On SF WAYWN, it's about how we translate that message into the second order (photographs). Clearly, good photo quality, good selection, a narrative structure and other details in photos will affect perception.

Style is very much about a narrative; conveying a message. The more you can control the medium and the overall environment in which your message is received, the more an audience can be enculturally trained to be more accepting of the message. This is one of the principles behind good advertising (even so-called guerilla or viral advertising which seems on the surface to be freer) or good propaganda (much the same thing). One theory of dress would be that we are trying to "sell" a narrative message about ourselves to the world, however subconsciously.

Translating that from the real world, into the SF world of the WAWYN thread, it's clearly much easier to control the WAYWN environment than it is to control the real world, so if care is taken about this, it will have an impact on our interpretation of people's outfits.

This is delving close to the fertile territory between psychology and aesthetics, an interesting field for sure.

Not really, I'm in clinical psychiatric practice, so the academic side of the overlap between psychology & aesthetics is rather tangential, at most. I find it interesting (and it feeds my interest in clothes/fashion/style), but am very, very far from being expert in it. A vague grasp of the basics, at best.

What I wonder is the process through which we decide what looks good and what does not. Doc said something last week about that week's digest...let me see if I can pull it out... ...that also touches on this notion. We operate in a realm of indirect communication, and the secondary effect of how style is presented might effect our reaction more than the style itself. There was also that bresc thread on Centofanti where he took the position that photographs are useless.

This week's digest teaches us that sticking your hand in your coat pocket goes a long way. Really, one big difference from the early days of WAYW is that people are making the effort to look comfortable in their clothes. This is a valuable lesson, I think, both for taking pictures and the general business of living. I wonder how many guys stand around with their hand in their coat pocket when they're not taking WAYW. One form of unreality may have replaced another.

I can't see most of the Vox pics, I see LK and mao and I think both look great. I typically like Singular's stuff but I will say that I am noticing a lot more dressed up boat shoe looks on the forum and I don't like them.

This week's digest teaches us that sticking your hand in your coat pocket goes a long way.

Really, one big difference from the early days of WAYW is that people are making the effort to look comfortable in their clothes. This is a valuable lesson, I think, both for taking pictures and the general business of living.

I wonder how many guys stand around with their hand in their coat pocket when they're not taking WAYW. One form of unreality may have replaced another.

There is a candid picture with me doing this. So don't include me in this fell swoop.

If I can elicit one good lesson each week, I feel that I have done my duty.

I have to admit, it strikes me as amusing. It's no less an affectation than leaving collar buttons undone, yet so far has inspired none of the backlash. It's an interesting process, how we choose what looks cool and what looks affected.

That said, whatever gets people to abuse their clothes a bit is fine by me.